Key events
Yankees 2-2 Dodgers, top 9th
The Yanks weak bottom half is coming up: Wells grounds to second for their first out off new Dodger righty reliever Michael Kopech
Now Verdugo bounces out to third. Two down. It’s up to Torres in the Yankees ninth.
Yankees 2-2 Dodgers, bottom eighth
Freeman flies to center for the third out, but we’re tied at two a piece heading into the ninth inning!
RUN! Yankees 2-2 Dodgers, bottom eighth
Betts hits a scorcher to center – Judge makes the catch, Ohtani tags up to score, tie game! The good news for New York, bases clear, two down. Here’s Freddie Freeman.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom eighth
OK, Ohtani is on third, and the Yankees infield is in. Weaver faces Betts who is behind in the count 1-2 in the biggest of spots here.
Ohtani nearly had his first World Series home run, but he’s still on third base.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom eighth
Ohtani hits a line drive that just falls short of a game tying homer! He’s into second base. But Volpe can’t handle a bounced throw from the right fielder, Soto, so Ohtani heads over to third base!
So now Ohtani is 90 feet away from tying this game, and Boone is out to get Khanle! The Yankees closer, Luke Weaver is heading in to face Mookie Betts with one out!
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom eighth
Edman is behind 0-2 to Kahnle, who remains in the game, for now. He gets Edman to bounce out to short. One down, here’s Ohtani looking to tie this game with a single swing!
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top eighth
Volpe flies out to center, inning over. Ohtani will bat second in LA’s half of the eighth inning. The NLCS MVP Edman, who is all over the place again tonight, leads off.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top eighth
Volpe is up with two down and nobody on, and the count is even at 2-2. How will it end?
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top eighth
Now Vesia strikes out Rizzo. Two down.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top eighth
A lefty, Vesia, added to the LA’s roster today, is in to face Chisholm, who made a key play with his glove a short while ago.
Chisholm is blown away for the first out. Here’s Rizzo.
The line on Cole
What can you say, the man delivered tonight.
6IP 6H 1R 1ER 0BB 4K 0HR
No free passes, that’s the key. You can’t give a lineup like this anything for free, and he didn’t.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom seventh
Lux grounds to second base, Torres shifts to his right, has the ball, throws it to first and the inning is over! The Yankees survive two on and nobody out to hold onto a one-run lead!
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom seventh
Kahnle has been lights out these playoffs: six games, seven innings, no runs. It’s all about his changeup.
What will Lux do v Kahnle?
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom seventh
Hernandez bunts! And successfully! the runners advance as Wells pops out to make the play and get Hernandez at first.
But now Smith pops a sinker to shortstop for an easy second out! Can the Yankees escape this threat?
Boone is coming out to get Holmes! A new pitcher is coming in to face Gavin Lux, who will try to save this inning! that’s Tommy Kahnle.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom seventh
One on and nobody out for Muncy. Holmes nearly hits Muncy as the ball goes to the backstop. Hernandez advances, and now they say Muncy was hit!
That means two on and no outs – the Dodgers are threatening, and Hernandez, Mr Dodgers clutch, steps into the batters box to face Holmes!
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom seventh
Holmes, the one-time closer before being demoted in favor of new closer Luke Weaver has been a bit better in this role of middle man. Now he faces Smith is a big spot against max Muncy.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom seventh
That’s it for Cole! Wow! I thought he was good enough to try one more batter, but Boone thought otherwise. So the Yankees ace is done, and their bullpen will take over.
Clay Holmes enters for the Yankees.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom seventh
Cole has thrown just 82 pitches and is back out to pitch the seventh inning for New York. His first assignment is the dangerous Hernandez, and the count is even at 2-2.
Cole has been in big spots before with the Yankees and hasn’t always been at his best, but that’s not the case so far tonight. He’s been absolutely fantastic.
Now the count is full: here’s the payoff pitch and it’s lined to center for a lead off base hit for LA! Muncy is next and Boone is out to talk to Cole. is that it for the Yankees ace?
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top seventh
Stanton goes down swinging and the inning is over! It’s stretch time in LA with the home team down a run.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top seventh
Signs of life from Judge – a single to center. It’s not sexy, but he’ll take it, and maybe that’s a sign of more things to come from the future AL MVP.
Giancarlo Stanton, who has done the Yankee damage tonight, is now back in the batters box to face the righty.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top seventh
Brusdar Graterol, who hasn’t seen action in a month, is in to face the Yankees beef.
Torres taps back to the pitcher, Graterol casually bare hands it and throws to first for the first out of the inning. You can’t be any smoother than Graterol on that play, whop looked like he was fielding in a beer league Sunday game.
Now Soto steps in, and he pops up a 3-2 pitch to shortstop for the second out.
Here’s Judge. A fourth strikeout for him would mean a “golden sombrero” on the night.
The line on Jack
The Dodgers hurler did it all, with the exception of one pitch, which Stanton took to the moon.
5.1 IP 5H 2R 2ER 1BB 6K 1HR
Almost jack, almost.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom sixth
Cole is ahead 1-2 on Betts. Now he watches a fastball away – it’s 2-2. Huge moment here!
Betts fouls off a fastball away, then scorches a line drive to third that bounces right in front of Chisholm – he has it, and throws to first in time to get Betts. Wow! What glove from Jazz!
Then Freeman skies to deep right but not deep enough! Soto has it, inning over!
LA can’t get a lead off double in to score as Cole puts the hammer down! Six great innings from the Yankees ace!
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom sixth
Ohtani bounces a ball up the middle – it’s going to be close! Ohtani is steaming down the line but the throw by Volpe is a bullet! One down, but now the tying run is 90 feet away, standing at third base for Mookie Betts.
The Yankees move the infield in.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, bottom sixth
Edman is everywhere! The NLCS MVP hits a double down the right field line, and now Ohtani is coming up with traffic on the bases. First big test here for Cole in a big spot.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top sixth
Verdugo strikes out! Inning over, but not before a crushed two-run blast from Stanton! Advantage new York!
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top sixth
Will Wells make LA pay? Wells hits a ball to the right of the second base bag – Edman, the shortstop runs and dives to his left and stops the ball! There’s no play at first, but the play keeps Chisholm from scoring a third Yankees run. Spectacular run-saving defense from LA!
So that means it’s now up to Alex Verdugo to deliver a two out RBI.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top sixth
Rizzo waves at a pitch away and Banda has a strikeout. Two down for Volpe, but Dave Roberts is going to put him on intentionally so Banda, a lefty, can face Wells, a switch hitter who will bat from the left side.
Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top sixth
So now it’s the Dodgers bullpen that’s under the microscope after Flaherty is chased. FOX TV tells us that the damaged Dodgers rotation has pitched just 40% of postseason innings thus far. The leaned on bullpen has mostly pitched well, but here the lefty Banda is greeted rudely with a single to right field by Jazz Chisholm.
Now Chisholm steals second base – the Yankees are cooking in the sixth! Can Rizzo keep the line moving?
This one is not coming back!
I think it’s safe to say that if Stanton continues to do this these playoffs, all his disappointing, high priced, injury-riddled regular seasons will be forgiven by Yankees fans.
HOME RUN! Yankees 2-1 Dodgers, top sixth
Giancarlo Stanton launches a mammoth 412 foot shot to right field! And Flaherty’s lone mistake is deposited into the seats and gives New York the lead! Dave Roberts is out to get his man: Anthony Banda will pitch in relief!
Yankees 0-1 Dodgers, top sixth
Wow! Judge, swing and a miss and he’s down for the third time on strikes! Will Stanton pick and continue his monster postseason?
Flaherty is ahead 0-2!
Yankees 0-1 Dodgers, top sixth
Can the Yankees answer? Flaherty is now facing the Yanks beef for the third time, and Soto leads off with a single! And here comes Judge!
Yankees 0-1 Dodgers, bottom fifth
Anthony Rizzo heads over to Cole to have a chat with the hurler in case he needs a bit of a pick-me-up after surrendering the first run of the 120th World Series.
Two outs, nobody on base for the eight spot, and that’s Lux. He pops out to center field, Judge puts it away and that’s the inning. But we have a run!
RUN! Yankees 0-1 Dodgers, bottom fifth
Will Smith pops to shallow right, Hernandez is tagging at third. Soto guns it home – this is going to be close! Smith is in to score! The Dodgers are on the board and have a lead!
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, bottom fifth
Cole is ahead yet again, o-2 against Hernandez. But then Hernandez pokes a high fastball into the opposite field right field corner! Soto can’t get to it in time! Kike is running for third and he’s in there! It’s a one-out triple and the Dodgers are a fly ball away for a lead. Here’s Will Smith!
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, bottom fifth
You know Cole has it if Max Muncy is bunting, which happened, and he slaps it foul. That’s shows you how much trouble Cole has been for Dodger hitters, and Muncy swings through a fastball for another Cole K! One down!
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, top fifth
Top of the Yanks lineup means Torres is at the plate. He bounces to third, Muncy charges, picks a tricky hop and fires to first – in time! Inning over! Flaherty is through five innings, confident and wildly effective! He’s 74 pitches in! Could he get through seven?
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, top fifth
Look at this! A base hit! Verdugo singles to center with two outs! Is this a trend? Stay tuned to find out.
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, top fifth
Now Flaherty has five strikeouts. Wells is totally defenseless, which is normal for Wells. How did he stay in the Yankees four hole for so long? (Cashman)
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, top fifth
Anthony Volpe is quickly behind 0-2. Now he’s on the bench, having fallen victim to a fourth Flaherty K. Can Wells do any better?
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, bottom fourth
Here’s Hernandez, my pick for series MVP, and the count is even, 2-2. A cutter low and away makes the count full. Now Hernandez pops another cutter to short where Edman has it as the fourth inning comes to a close. Just 51 pitches for Cole!
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, bottom fourth
Cole breaks Freeman’s bat, twice in two pitches. It’s a ground ball to first that Rizzo will take himself for the second out. Cole has thrown just 45 pitches thus far, super economical.
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, bottom fourth
It’s Cole v Betts to start the bottom of the fourth, and the Yankees hurler gets ahead 0-2. Betts evens the count at two before Betts hits a ball to no mans land to shallow right field – it’s the first baseman Rizzo who is chasing and he makes a fantastic over the shoulder catch! He robbed Betts of a bloop hit! One down!
Here’s Freeman, who had a triple in his first at-bat.
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, top fourth
Nasty knuckle curve ball to Rizzo for a swinging strike two before the Yanks first baseman pokes a ball to shallow left field. It’s easy for Teoscar Hernandez who makes an easy catch to retire the side. It’s Flaherty’s first 1-2-3 inning of the night, which has taken just 60 pitches.
Yankees 0-0 Dodgers, top fourth
Moving right along, Stanton flies out to right, Chisholm bounces to second, and two quick outs for Flaherty, who has now navigated through the beef of the Yankees lineup twice and lives to tell the tale!
